Arriving by Plane
Coming to Beijing for the first time, it is recommended to take a taxi from the Beijing Capital International Airport. The taxi is available in the designated places indicated by signs in the airport. To guarantee your safety and rights, please take legally approved taxi which has a uniform color and sign.
The distance from the Airport to Tsinghua University is about 35 kilometers. Under normal traffic condition, taking taxi costs around RMB 110 Yuan, including 10 Yuan for express way and 3 Yuan for fuel surcharge.
Please tell the taxi driver “I want to go to the Northeast Gate of Tsinghua University (我去清华大学东北门： Wo Qu Qing Hua Da Xue Dong Bei Men )”, and show him/her the Campus Map. After entering the northeast gate of the campus, turn right at the first cross, where you will see the Zijing International Student Apartment Buildings No. 23 to 18.
There are also shuttle buses from the Airport to downtown, which cost about RMB 30 per person. Airport Shuttle Bus Line 5 has Zhongguancun as the terminal station and is available from 5:30 to 21:00. It is the nearest station to Tsinghua University. Taking taxi from Zhongguancun station to Tsinghua University charges around RMB 20.
If you choose to take the public transportation (subway and bus), please check the following information for reference: get off at Wudaokou station of Subway Line 13, and take Bus Line 549 to Dashiqiao stop which is very near to the northeast gate of Tsinghua campus. Please click for Beijing Subway Map.
Tsinghua Campus Transportation
Bicycles are strongly recommended for on-campus transportation. If you have not got a bicycle, the campus shuttle is a good option. The shuttle bus has a fixed 20 minutes route around the campus.
Electric bicyles are NOT recommended on campus. Some zones of the campus are stipulated as Zone of Quietness, where the alarms of the bicyles must be shut down in these zones. In some places in the campus, electric bicyles are forbidden for entrance.
Motorcycles are forbidden in the campus. Riding motorcycles in the campus is a violation of the unviersity traffic regulation and the students discipline regulations.
Public Transportation
A Beijing Public Transportation Card is necessary if you travel often outside the campus. It can be purchased in subway stations and used for Beiing subways and buses.
Beijing subways are developing rapidly and provide convenient, fast traffic in rush hours. Around Tsinghua campus there exists four subway stations: Wudaokou station of Line 13, Qinghua East Road West station of Line 15, Peking University East Gate station of Line 4, and Yuanming Yuan station of Line 4. Please refer to Beijing Subway Map for additional information.
There are also many bus stations outside the northeast gate, west gate, south gate, and the main gate of Tsinghua campus. The bus stop outside the northeast gate is the nearest one to the International Students Apartments, and you may take bus No. 549 to Wudaokou (where you may transfer to subway Line 13) and Zhongguancun, etc.
Taxi
The legal taxi is usually in yellow color, with a taxi sign and a license plate prefix “京B”. Illegal taxi is not advised.
When getting off, remeber to check your belongings and lugguage, especially your stuff in the trunk. Keep the invoice after payment. The license plate number, date and time, distance, and price are all recorded on the invoice, thus it is a good reference when necessay.
Automobile
In China, a valid Chinese driver’s license is compulsory for driving automobiles. Foreign driver licenses are NOT applicable.
Visa
The foreigners coming to China for study shall apply for a study-purpose visa at the Chinese Embassy/Consulate in their country of nationality or country of residence.
There are two types of visas for study purpose: X1 type visas are usually issued to the students planning to study for over 180 days; X2 type visas are usually issued to the students planning to study for less than 180 days.
The documents issued by the International Students Office (ISO) of Tsinghua University, including the Admission Notice, the Visa Application Form for Study in China (JW 202/201), and some other documents, will be required by the Chinese Embassie and Consulates.
The list and contacts of Chinese diplomatic missions overseas can be checked on the website of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China.
Importante Notice
I. For the international students who are coming to China with new visas, please check the visa type and read the following notices respectively.
If you are holding X1 visa: you must register at the university and apply for a residence permit within 30 days after your entry into China, otherwise illegal stay is constituted. Usually there is only one entry permitted on your visa. Since early registration is not entertained and it usually takes 3-5 days for the preparation of documents required for the residence permit application, it is suggested that you enter China around 1 week before the registration date designated on the Admission Notice.
If you are holding X2 visa: the number of entries permitted and the duration of each stay (by days after each entry) are indicated on the visa. You shall remember the expiration date clearly, and register at the designated date on your Admission Notice.
Please be noted that travelling from Hong Kong S.A.R, Macau S.A.R and China Taiwan to mainland China counts an entry.
2. For the international students who are already staying or residing in China, please check your visas, stay permits or residence permits, and read the following notices respectively.
If you are holding a Residence Permit: you shall assure that, on the date of registration, there are still over 30 days left to the expiration of the validity period. After registration, you need to apply for a new residence permit for study.
If you are holding a visa of another type: you shall assure that, on the date of registration, there are still over 7 days left to the expiration of the duration of the stay. After registration, you need to apply for a residence permit, or change to a study-purpose visa. If the application fails, you have to go back to your home country to apply for a new study-purpose visa overseas, and re-enter China and register with the new visa.
If you are holding a stay permit, you cannot apply for a new visa or residence permit in China. You have to exit or go back to home country to apply for a new study purpose visa overseas, and re-enter China and register with the new visa.
3. About trip planning
Registration is not accepted if a) it is too early; or b) you are holding an expired visa/residence permit; or c) the remaining time to the expiration of your visa/residence permit is not adequate for necessary formalities. Therefore, you should better make your trip plan carefully to avoid entering China too early before the designated registration date, which may make the visa expire at the registration time. Expired visas will cause failure of registration and other unnecessary troubles.
Moreover, if you have to apply for a residence permit after registration, it will take about one month to get your passport back. If you have to apply for extension of stay or more entries for your visa, it will take about 3 weeks to get your passport back. During this time peroid, you cannot travel to other places except for the Beijing city. You should better take it into consideration.
4. About giving up admission
If you decide to give up the admission to Tsinghua University, you shall not use the documents issued by Tsinghua University to apply for a visa nor use that visa to enter China. According to the regulations of the government, the university shall report all the admitted but unregistered students to the Department of Exit and Entry Administration. If you are holding a study-purpose visa in China but do not register in the corresponding university, the visa will be cancelled and you will be penalized for illegal stay.
5. For residents of Hong Kong S. A. R, Macau S. A. R and China Taiwan
The students holding travelling certificates issued to Hong Kong S.A.R, Macau S.A.R and China Taiwan are all Chinese citizens. The degree programs (undergraduate and graduate) of Tsinghua University do not accept registration with such travelling certificates. Non-degree program (exchange, visiting and Chinese language) students with such travelling certificates can process the immigration formalities by themselves.